DETROIT, Mich. – AJ McKee scored all of his team-high 14 points in the second half and Jamichael Stillwell broke the program record with his 10^th double-double of the season in helping the Milwaukee men's basketball team grind out a 64-56 victory over Detroit Mercy Saturday afternoon at Calihan Hall.
 
"Proud of the guys … this was a tough road win," head coach Bart Lundy said. "To shoot 30 percent and still win by eight points really shows the toughness and grit of the team. It was a tough environment here today, so it was a good game. We could have felt sorry for ourselves following the game at Oakland. When we didn't see the ball go in (early) in this game, it tests what you're built on and we guarded and rebounded."
 
McKee played a key role in a decisive second-half scoring run to lead the Panthers (11-5, 4-1 Horizon League) over the Titans (6-11, 2-4 Horizon League) in today's defensive battle, while also winning for the sixth consecutive outing in the all-time series.
 
McKee finished with 14 points and added six rebounds, including back-to-back key buckets – adding a free throw on the first make – capping the end of a 13-2 scoring run that opened up a 40-40 contest, giving MKE the 53-42 advantage with 6:51 remaining.
 
"He missed some easy ones in the first half and we actually joked about it on the bench in the first half," Lundy said of McKee's effort. "He's going to come out of this and can put the ball in the basket as well as anyone. It was good to see him have that big second half."
 
Themus Fulks tied for the team lead with his 14 points, adding five rebounds while also going 8-of-10 from the free throw line. He made 3-of-4 from the charity stripe over the final 24.6 seconds to seal the victory.
 
Stillwell finished with 11 points and collected a game-high 13 rebounds, marking his 10^th double-double of the season to edge past the former program record of nine (Matt Tiby in 2015-16/Adrian Tigert in 2005-06).
 
Kentrell Pullian added 11 points, five boards, and a pair of steals – with no bigger make on the day than a 3-pointer to regain momentum down the stretch and make the score 61-53 with 2:14 left in regulation.
 
Orlando Lovejoy was the only Titan in double-figures, scoring a game-high 20 points while adding a double-double of his own with 10 boards.
 
Despite a tough shooting day, Milwaukee held the lead for the majority of the first half and led at the break, 28-24. The visitors looked like they were taking control, forging ahead 33-24 on a Darius Duffy three-point play and then again at 37-29 on a pair of Stillwell free throws with 16:54 to go.
 
However, the new-look Titans – who have already recorded six victories this season following a 1-31 campaign a winter ago – went on an 11-3 run to make it a new game at 40-40 before McKee helped Milwaukee swing momentum and pick up the important road victory.
 
The first half was all defensive, with both teams held close to 30 percent shooting from the floor over the opening 20 minutes. The opening period featured a pair of mini-runs by the Titans that kept it close, as well as a stretch in which the MKE offense scored 14 of 16 points to build a lead to as many as eight at one point.
 
The home team scored six consecutive to lead 13-9 early, with the Panthers going on a big run of their own after they fell behind, 15-11. The visitors tore off a 14-2 run, extending the lead to its largest at 25-17 on a straightaway three-pointer from Pullian with 6:17 remaining. The Titans then cut the deficit to 28-24 at the break with another 7-0 spurt.
 
For the game, the Panthers held the Titans to 37.0 percent (20-of-54) shooting overall and won the contest despite shooting just 30.8 percent (20-of-65) from the floor and 12.5 percent (3-of-24) from deep. The team helped itself by shooting 77.8 percent (21-of-27) from the line while outrebounding the Titans by an overwhelming 49-33 margin, including 23-8 on the offensive glass.
 
Up next, the three-game road trip concludes at Purdue Fort Wayne Wednesday. Game time against the Mastodons is set for 6 p.m. CT.